The present invention pertains to an adjuvant for wet sanding of a surface. Surfaces such as wood are routinely sanded with an abrasive such as sandpaper to remove paint and/or other surface coatings, and to smooth the surface for fresh surface coating applications such as repainting or re-varnishing. These surfaces are sometimes wet sanded because this method reduces the amount of dust which can be an environmental and/or health hazard. However, wetting unfinished wood that results during sanding raises the wood grain and makes it rough or fuzzy, leading to extra sanding.